SUNGAI PETANI: It has not been too long since Kedah-born Muhammad Hafizi Abdul Karim ventured into the field of leaf carving but he has certainly shown the skill and talent needed to succeed.

       This is evident from the many stunning artworks he has produced such as portraits of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, WW2 hero Adnan Saidi (better known as Leftenan Adnan) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

       Not only that, the range of the 31-year-old artist, who lives in Sungai Petani, Kedah, extends to calligraphy, animals, buildings and vehicles.

       His skills won him acclaim after he hand-carved the image of the Al-Aqsa Mosque as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians in a piece entitled "Free Gaza" which he shared on the Facebook group "Lukis" in May last year.

       Muhammad Hafizi, who calls himself "Pakar Bedah Daun" (leaf surgeon), said his career in art started after he entertained his wife's s request to carve her portrait onto a leaf.

       "I have always loved drawing since I was in school but I only considered it a hobby. However, after my artwork started to gain attention, I decided to get serious about it and make leaf carving my main source of income.

       "It is relatively new in this country and not many people have gone into it. It requires patience, perseverance and meticulousness,” he said in a recent interview.

       Explaining the process of leaf carving, Muhammad Hafizi said he preferred to use teja leaves as his canvas because they are durable. Once a carving is done, he dries it to preserve the artwork.

       "At first, I used jackfruit leaves but they shrank when dried, affecting the image.

       "After drying the leaf, I will apply liquid resin to it to maintain its appearance before it is then framed,” he said, adding that he gathers the teja leaves from around his home.

       Each carving takes about two hours to complete, depending on the design requested by his clients.

       "However, I once took three days to complete a portrait of Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah using 30 teja leaves, a request I received from the Pahang Youth Council,” he said.

       Muhammad Hafizi, who hopes to open an art gallery within the next 10 years, said his charges start at RM100, depending on the design and intricacy. – Bernama